The meanings of the Bennets` struggles in solving their life problems as seen in Jane Austen`s Pride and Prejudice.

THE MEANINGS OF THE

BENNETS’ STRUGGLES

IN SOLVING THEIR LIFE PROBLEMS AS SEEN

IN JANE AUSTEN’S PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree

in English Language Education

By

Rendy Oktavianus Student Number: 091214024

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION

FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA 2013

i

THE MEANINGS OF THE

BENNETS’ STRUGGLES

IN SOLVING THEIR LIFE PROBLEMS AS SEEN

IN JANE AUSTEN’S PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

A SARJANA PENDIDIKAN THESIS

Presented as Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements to Obtain the Sarjana Pendidikan Degree

in English Language Education

By

Rendy Oktavianus Student Number: 091214024

ENGLISH LANGUAGE EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND ARTS EDUCATION

FACULTY OF TEACHERS TRAINING AND EDUCATION SANATA DHARMA UNIVERSITY

YOGYAKARTA 2013

iv

I dedicate this thesis to My Lord, Jesus Christ

My family My friends

And,

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ABSTRACT

Oktavianus, Rendy. (2013). The Meanings of the Bennets’ Struggles in Solving their Life Problems as Seen in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.

This study analyzes a novel entitled Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. This novel tells about the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problems. The story takes place in England. The Bennets want to change their social class. The conflicts start to come out between Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, also between the Bennet family and Mr. Wickham. Each conflict makes the Bennets struggle to overcome their problems. In the end of the story, every problem can be solved and the Bennets live happily.

The aim of the study is to find the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problems. There are two questions to answer in this study. The

first question is “How are the life problems of Bennet family described in the

novel?” The second question is “What are the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problems?”

There are two sources that were used in this study. The primary source was the novel itself, entitled Pride and Prejudice. The secondary sources were books, journals, related texts, and the internet literacy. The theories employed to answer the research problems were Marxist theory and theory of power and powerless. The approach used to accomplish this study was Marxism.

Based on the analysis, there were three main conflicts faced by the Bennets. Jane Bennet had to face the conflict that occurred between Mr. Bingley, Caroline Bingley, and herself. Elizabeth had to face the conflict of her pride and prejudice to Mr. Darcy. The Bennet family had to face serious conflict when Lydia Bennet was running away with Mr. Wickham. The meanings of their conflicts were categorized into literal and true meanings. There were three literal meanings of their conflicts. Firstly, Jane’s struggle to maintain her feeling and does not give up. Secondly, Elizabeth’s struggle is to stay strong when the society oppresses her. Thirdly, the Bennets’ struggle which is a problem that cannot be solved and be done without a help from family, it takes trust and faith. After a deeper analysis by using Marxist theory and theory of power and powerless, the true meanings are discovered. First, the true meaning of Jane’s struggle is Jane’s social action which involves harmony and conflict, love and hatred, and struggle

over the oppression. Second, Elizabeth’s struggle is not being under-controlled by the powerful people or society and she can overcome her conflicts. Third, the Bennets’ struggle is the power to make the powerless obey them and the power of family in society to solve the conflicts together.

This study provides some suggestions for future researchers. For future researchers who use the same novel, they can use Elizabeth Bennet as the main focus of the study or they can use the social class as the main topic of their study.

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ABSTRAK

Oktavianus, Rendy. (2013). The Meanings of the Bennets’ Struggles in Solving their Life Problems as Seen in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.

Studi ini menganalisis sebuah novel yang berjudul Pride and Prejudice yang ditulis oleh Jane Austen. Novel ini menceritakan tentang perjuangan keluarga Bennet dalam menyelesaikan permasalahan hidup mereka. Berlokasi di Inggris. Keluarga Bennet berkeinginan merubah status kelas sosial mereka. Perselisihan mulai muncul antara Jane Bennet dan Tuan Bingley, Elizabeth Bennet dan Tuan Darcy, keluarga Bennet dan Tuan Wickham. Tiap konflik membuat keluarga Bennet berjuang untuk mengatasinya. Di akhir cerita, setiap perselisihan dapat diatasi dan keluarga Bennet dapat hidup bahagia.

Tujuan studi ini adalah untuk menemukan arti perjuangan keluarga Bennet. Terdapat dua rumusan masalah yang dibahas dalam studi ini. Rumusan

masalah yang pertama adalah “Bagaimana permasalahan kehidupan keluarga Bennet dideskripsikan dalam novel?” Yang kedua “Apa arti dari perjuangan

keluarga Bennet dalam menyelesaikan permasalahan kehidupan mereka?”

Terdapat dua sumber yang digunakan dalam studi ini. Sumber yang pertama adalah novel berjudul Pride and Prejudice. Sumber yang kedua dari buku, jurnal, bacaan terkait, dan karya sastra dari internet. Teori – teori yang digunakan untuk menjawab rumusan masalah adalah teori Marxist dan teori power and powerless. Pendekatan yang digunakan untuk menyelesaikan penelitian ini adalah Marxism.

Berdasarkan studi ini, dalam novel terdapat tiga perselisihan utama yang dideskripsikan. Perselisihan dari Jane Bennet, Elizabeth Bennet, dan keluarga Bennet itu sendiri. Jane Bennet harus menghadapi konflik yang timbul antara dia, Tuan Bingley, dan Caroline Bingley. Elizabeth harus menghadapi konflik antara dirinya sendiri dengan Tuan Darcy. Serta keluarga Bennet yang menghadapi konflik serius ketika Lydia Bennet kabur dengan Mr. Wickham. Dari konflik - konflik tersebut, arti dari perjuangan dapat dikategorikan menjadi arti secara harfiah dan arti sebenarnya. Terdapat tiga arti harfiah dari permasalahan mereka. Pertama, perjuangan Jane adalah menjaga perasaannya dan tidak menyerah. Kedua, perjuangan Elizabeth adalah tetap kuat ketika masyarakat kelas atas menekan dia. Ketiga, perjuangan keluarga Bennet adalah masalah tidak dapat diselesaikan tanpa bantuan dari keluarga, itu membutuhkan kepercayaan dan keyakinan. Setelah analisis mendalam menggunakan teori Marxist dan teori power and powerless, arti sebenarnya dapat diketahui. Pertama, arti sebenarnya dari perjuangan Jane adalah tindakan sosial Jane yang mencakup harmoni dan konflik, cinta dan benci, dan perjuangan melawan tekanan. Kedua, perjuangan Elizabeth adalah tidak menuruti orang – orang yang berkuasa dan dia dapat mengatasi konfliknya dengan cara yang benar. Ketiga, perjuangan keluarga Bennet adalah kekuatan untuk membuat orang – orang yang lemah untuk menuruti mereka dan kekuatan keluarga dalam masyarakat untuk menyelesaikan konflik mereka bersama.

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Studi ini memberikan beberapa masukan untuk peneliti selanjutnya. Untuk peneliti selanjutnya yang menggunakan novel yang sama, mereka dapat fokus kepada Elizabeth Bennet atau mereka dapat menggunakan kelas sosial sebagai topik studi mereka.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

First of all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my Lord, Jesus Christ, for His blessings and love so that I can do my best in everything that I do in my life.

Next, I am very grateful to Dr. Ant. Herujiyanto, M.A., for his patience, feedback, suggestions, and guidance during the process of finishing this thesis. His guidance and advice along the process are really helpful to me. I also would like to thank all of my lecturers at the English Language Education Study Program of Sanata Dharma University for sharing and giving me knowledge and experience during the process of my study. My gratitude also goes to all English Language Education Study Program (ELESP) secretariat staff,

Mbak Dhanniek and Mbak Tari and Sanata Dharma University library staff. I thank them for the service, help, and kindness.

I also would like to express my greatest gratitude to my beloved family. My father Jimmy Laksono Nugroho, my mother Susilawati, my brothers Willy Dwi Nugroho and Rangga Tri Nugroho for their patience, love, support, and prayer during the process of writing this thesis and my study in ELESP Sanata Dharma.

My gratitude also goes to all my friends in ELESP, for thesis help and being my greatest friend. I also thank Galih Prabaswara Paripurna, my senior

Yovita Felicia Hapsari, and Bonaventura Williartha for becoming my thesis proof readers. I also would like to thank Louis Roni Aditya Cipta Dwi Putra for

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being my best friend in thesis writing class and during my study in ELESP Sanata Dharma. My gratitude also goes to all of my friends in ELESP batch 2009, especially class A, for studying and gaining knowledge and experience together. My gratitude is also given to Punakawan English Course (Bayu, Anggi, Mira, Ine, Deta, Galih), for their support and prayer. I also thank Bayu Adi Pamungkas, Wilda Prandika, Bayu Wibowo Setiawan, Antonius Wisnu

Yoga, Stephanus Dio, Romo Jack, Henricus Adhi, Yulianus Febriarko for being my friends during my study in ELESP.

May all of my family, friends, and lecturers will be blessed by Jesus Christ and they can live happily and successfully.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

TITLE PAGE... i

APPROVAL PAGES... ii

DEDICATION PAGE... iv

STATEMENT OF WORK’S ORIGINALITY... v

PERNYATAAN PERSETUJUAN PUBLIKASI... vi

ABSTRACT... vii

ABSTRAK... viii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... x

TABLE OF CONTENTS... xii

LIST OF APPENDICES... xiv

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study... . 1

B. Objective of the Study... 3

C. Problem Formulation... 3

D. Definition of Terms... . 3

CHAPTER II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE A. Review of Related Theories... 6

1. Marxist Theory... 6

2. Power and Powerless Theory... 8

B. Theoretical Framework... 10

C. Context of the Novel... 11

CHAPTER III. METHODOLOGY A. Object of the Study... 12

B. Approach of the Study... 14

xiii CHAPTER IV. ANALYSIS

A. The Life Problems of the Bennets... 17

1. Conflict between Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley... 19

2. Conflict between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy... 21

3. Conflict between the Bennet family and Mr. Wickham.. 23

B. The Meanings of the Bennets’ Struggles... 25

1. The Struggle of Jane Bennet... 26

a. The Literal Meaning of Jane’s Struggle... 26

b. The True Meaning of Jane’s Struggle... 28

2. The Struggle of Elizabeth Bennet... 29

a. The Literal Meaning of Elizabeth’s Struggle... 29

b. The True Meaning of Elizabeth’s Struggle... 33

3. The Struggle of the Bennet Family... 35

a. The Literal Meaning of the Bennet Family’s Struggle 36 b. The True Meaning of the Bennet Family’s Struggle 37 CHAPTER V. CONCLUSION, IMPLICATION, and SUGGESTIONS A. Conclusions... 40

B. Implications... 43

C. Suggestions... 44

REFERENCES... 46

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LIST OF APPENDICES

Appendices Page

Appendix A. Summary of Pride and Prejudice... 48

Appendix B. The Biography of Jane Austen... ... 52

Appendix C. Lesson Plan... ... 55

Appendix D. Students’ Worksheet... ... 58

1

CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

In this chapter, the writer would like to give the introduction of the study. This chapter consists of four parts. The first part is the background of the study, which explains why the writer chose Pride and Prejudice. The second part deals with the objective of the study. The third part presents the problem formulations. The fourth part is the definition of terms.

A. Background of the Study

Pride and prejudice are two words that contrast with each other, but they also share the same thoughts. Pride is something that people are proud of, feeling of a satisfaction that people have. However, it can be both positive and negative. On the other hand, prejudice is an unreasonable dislike of a particular person or thing. There is a novel, which was written by Jane Austen, titled “Pride and Prejudice.” The writer chooses this novel as the primary data because the plotline does not only present love and hatred in a relationship, but it also presents conflicts that happen between social classes and social struggles to overcome the conflicts.

In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austin successfully contrasted the differences in English social classes of 19th Century. In the novel, it is told that the Bennet family must face so many insults and poor relations. They have to overcome every conflict that they face. The two daughters of the Bennets, Jane and Elizabeth

Bennet, also have to struggle to solve their conflicts with Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy who become their husbands later on.

The story mainly talks about the Bennet family who want to change the family social status or social class by marrying off their daughters to wealthy men. The story is getting more complicated when the Bennet family has to face the society and their life problems after Jane and Elizabeth meet Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy.

Their meetings with Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy lead the Bennet family into the deeper conflicts with high class people. Jane Bennet has to face the conflict that is happened because of her relationship with Mr. Bingley. Jane also has to face Caroline Bingley and Mr. Darcy who do not agree with her relationship with Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth Bennet’s conflict is between herself, Mr. Darcy, and Lady de Bourgh. However, Elizabeth’s conflict is mostly about her prejudice about Mr. Darcy because of his pride when they meet for the first time. Meanwhile, the Bennet family hears the news that Lydia Benner is running away with Mr. Wickham. The news causes the conflict between the Bennet family and Mr. Wickham to arise. However, the Bennets can struggle and solve all of the conflicts. In the end, they can live happily ever after.

In this novel Jane Austen talks about how Bennet family has to face high class people that cause the conflicts. Especially, the conflicts faced by Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Bennet, and the Bennet family themselves. Moreover, the writer would like to find the meanings of struggles through the life problems that the Bennets have. In the novel, Jane Austen writes that the Bennets have to face many

conflicts which are caused by the society. For example, when Lydia Bennet is running away with Mr. Wickham and the Bennet family cannot find them anywhere. Thus, the meanings of struggles are discovered when the Bennet family is trying to face and solve their conflicts.

B. Objective of the study

The objective of the study is to find the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problems. In order to find the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles, the formulations are made. Thus, two problem formulations are made.

C. Problem Formulation

This study would answer two formulated problems. They are:

1. How are the Bennets and their life problems described in the novel? 2. What are the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life

problems?

D. Definition of Terms

In order to avoid some misunderstanding about the terms used, in the beginning of this thesis some difficult terms will be defined. Thus, in this part the writer would like to present the definition of terms that I used in the study.

1. Conflict

Conflict is struggle, fight or disagreements between two or more people. Lewis Coser defines conflict as “a struggle over values and claims to scarce

status, power and resources in which the aims of the opponents are to neutralize, injure, or eliminate their rivals” (as cited in Billings, 1976, p. 533). In this study, conflict means a struggle from low class people to fight against the oppression from high class people.

2. Literal Meaning

Literal means following the original words exactly or lacking imagination. The literal meaning means the meaning that following the original word. In another words the literal meaning is the meaning which appears or can be seen or noticed and it is not hidden. Case & Marshall in Deep and Surface Approaches to Learning (2009) add that a literal approach in learning is the tacit acceptance of information and memorization and does not promote understanding for long-term retention of knowledge (pp. 9-18).

In this study, the literal meaning is defined as the meaning which can be seen or noticed in the surface of the novel. After reading the novel, the writer can directly conclude about the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problems based on what is seen and noticed.

3. True Meaning

True means being accurate, real or exact which is connected with the fact rather than things that have been guessed. Barnet et al. in An Introduction to the Literature (1994) say that true meaning is the meaning which is told for our sake because it is implicit (p. 28). Fredrick in Adventures in Fiction (1964) has the

same opinion with Barnet. He says that the deeper meaning of the story is a meaning which has value for every reader (p. 75). Case & Marshall in Deep and Surface Approaches to Learning (2009) also state that a deep learning involves the critical analysis of new idea and promotes the application for life (pp. 9-18). From the former statements above, it can be concluded that the true meaning is the meaning which implies and promotes the application for life.

In this study the true meaning means the meaning which can be seen behind the symbols or utterances that are used in a novel. The true meaning usually does not appear or cannot be seen directly because it is hidden.

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CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter is divided into three parts, namely, the theoretical description, the theoretical framework and the context of the novel. The theoretical description discusses the underlying theories which are related to the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problems. The theoretical framework concludes all relevant theories which can help the writer to answer the formulated problems. The context of the novel presents the setting and some parts of the novel.

A. Review of Related Theories

In this part, the writer review the theories which are directly employed in the study. The meaning of struggle is the main focus of this study. The meaning of struggle will be presented in two ways; literal meaning and true meaning. Furthermore, the theories are used to support the analysis of the meaning of struggle.

1. Marxist Theory

Marxism's main concern is class. “The history of all hitherto existing societies is the history of class struggles” (The Communist Manifesto, p.1). The key to understand Marx is his class definition. A class is defined by the ownership of property. In relation to property, there are two great classes of society. Karl Marx divides society into two classes, namely, the bourgeoise and the proletariat.

The bourgeoisie is the upper class society which has power to oppress the lower class, while the proletariat is the lower class society which does not have any power to fight against the oppression from the bourgeoisie. McHenry (2005) states, “According to Marx and his theories, the bourgeoisie will take any means necessary to oppress the proletariat and remain in control.” The bourgeoisie will use any oppression to the proletariat to maintain their status, resource, and power. Oppression, in other words, is not a relationship between individuals. Oppression is a social relationship in which capital benefits through the subjection of a certain group in society (McNally, 1983) It is based on a material interest. As long as there are social relations that produce oppressed beings, it will be needed and possible to attack these relations by fighting the oppression.

Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels focus much of their work on the differences between the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. Nevertheless, throughout Pride and Prejudice there are continuous class differences present, and the struggles between these different classes and the strong desire of upward social mobility is ever present. This is very natural according to Eagleton (1976), who states that “the social mentality of an age is conditioned by that age's social relations. This is nowhere quite as evident as in the history of art and literature” (p. 5) In other words, Jane Austen is describing the world as she sees it and all the social classes’ conflicts that the society of her time was subjected to.

In Marxist literary criticism, there are several fundamental terms and ideas. The most important part is the theory that a society consists of a base and a superstructure. The base is the economic structure of a society and the

superstructure is the kind of state, the laws, and the politics, that exist to claim the power of the social class. In other words, the superstructure's important function is to claim that the power of the bourgeoisie is over the proletariat. The base and superstructure form society and in a society class, they act to keep the ruling class in power. However, the ruling class in power provokes class conflict to exist. Marx emphasizes class conflict as the dynamics of social change. Karl Marx explains that change is not random, but the result of a conflict of interests.

One of the Marxism followers, Gramsci, denotes the term struggle as a part of social classes. Gramsci uses the term hegemony to denote the predominance of one social class over others (Donaldson, 2008). In social classes, people will struggle to change their social class status. As Williams (1977) states, “in a class society, all beliefs are founded on class position, and the systems of belief of all classes . . . are then in part or wholly false” (p. 55). Therefore, social classes provoke social struggles to exist. Social struggles are provoked to exist because people from different social classes will struggle to make their social class become higher. Behind every social struggle, there will be social action. Simmel (1950) believes social action always involves harmony and conflict, love and hatred (p. 74). Thus, social action is the fundamental base of the existence of social struggles.

2. Power and Powerless Theory

Theory of power and powerless is a part of Marxism. Karl Marx states that there are two classes in society, namely, bourgeoisie and proletariat. Between

those two classes, there will always be a competition and conflict. Before the writer goes further to the discussion of the theory of power and powerless, the writer would like to explain what is meant by conflict. Coser defines conflict as “a struggle over values and claims to scarce status, power and resources in which the aims of the opponents are to neutralize, injure, or eliminate their rivals” (as cited in Billings, 1976, p. 533).

A conflict occurs because an economically powerful part of society (Bourgeoisie) and an economically powerless part of society (Proletariat) have different objective interests, while competition puts society easily falls until the dominant group gains control and stability through power. Moreover, competition and conflict will always become a part of social life that cannot be avoided. From here, the writer would like to discuss the theory of power according to some experts who are still related to Marxism approach. Karl Marx believes that economics have the great effect on the existence of power distinction in society. One of the experts, Max Weber, agrees with Karl Marx. Furthermore, Weber (1968) defines power as “the ability to impose one’s will on another, even when the other objects” (p. 72).

Furthermore, according to Mills, there are three types of power: 1. Authority: power justified by the beliefs of the voluntarily obedient. 2. Manipulation: power wielded unknown to the powerless.

3. Coercion: the “final” form of power, where the powerless are forced to obey the powerful. (as cited in Elwell, 2002.).

Coercion is a type of power that always exists in the conflict between bourgeoisie and proletariat society. Bourgeoisie society wants proletariat to obey them. Not only have to show their power, but bourgeoisie also wants something from proletariat society. Collins (1974) believes there are certain things that every group wants to pursue. Those are wealth, power, and prestige. Furthermore, Collins (1974) concludes “coercion and the ability to “force” others to behave a certain way are the primary basis of conflict” (p. 56).

B. Theoretical Framework

The theoretical framework contains the contribution of the theories to this research. This part presents two major topics. They are the theories of oppresion and the theories of power and powerless. Money and class are two of the most central themes of Marxism and they will infuse the entire analysis of the novel. The theoretical framework is used to explain the contribution of theories in solving the problem of the study.

The approach that the writer uses is Marxism approach that relates to the Marxist theory and theory of power and powerless. Marxist’s analysis of power is that power is used to further the interests of the powerful at the expense of the powerless. The powerful people seek to maintain their privileged position at the expense of the powerless people.

Theory of power and powerless and Marxist theory are used to solve the second formulated problem. Those theories are related to the social actions that the Bennets do. The Bennets’ social actions trigger the Bennets’ struggles to

overcome their life problems. Thus, those theories are used to analyze the characters’ social actions and to find the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problems.

C. Context of the Novel

This part presents the context of the novel. Culler (1997) in Literary Theory says, “Context is what determines meaning. To know the particular utterance means, you have to look at the circumstances or the historical context in which it figures” (p.62). Based on this argument, it can be stated that the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles can be understood by considering the conflicts and the circumstances written. The first indication to be seen is the setting, where the story begins. The setting is divided into two parts, namely, the setting of the author and the setting of the primary data. Jane Austen lived in a world which was governed by strict social standards and where social class was of immense importance. She wrote Pride and Prejudice in Great Britain, in the late 18th and early 19th century.

Meanwhile, Pride and Prejudice takes setting in English countryside. In the setting of the novel, the social class is very important in every part of social life. The Bennet family is categorized as middle class family. They live in the culture that sees the high class is everything. In this case, the Bennet family has five daughters and the mother wants her daughters to get married with wealthy men. The purpose of her action is to maintain and to raise up the Bennets’ social class.

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CHAPTER III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter consists of three parts. The first part is the object of the study. The second part presents the approach of the study. The third is the method of the study. In this chapter, the writer would like to describe the physical description of the novel, the approach that is employed in analyzing the work, and also the procedures of the analysis of the work.

A. Object of the Study

The object of the study is a novel entitled Pride and Prejudice. Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The writer used the copy of the novel. It is published by Rohan Book Company, copyright 2004. There are 61 chapters in the novel.

The writer would like to present what the novel is all about. The story is about the Bennet family. Mrs. Bennet intends to see her daughters, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine, and Lydia Bennet, to get married to wealthy men. When Charles Bingley arrives at nearby Netherfield Park, she is excited by the prospect of introducing her daughters to him. She immediately sends her husband to visit him on the first day he arrives. When he arrives, Bingley comes with Mr. Darcy and his two sisters, Caroline Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. Elizabeth quickly realizes that Caroline Bingley seems to dislike the Bennet family and that she only pretends to be friends with Jane. Soon after, Bingley, his sisters, and Darcy depart

for London and announce to Jane that they have no intentions of returning to Netherfield anytime soon. They also tell Jane that Bingley will marry Mr. Darcy’s sister.

Jane goes to stay in London. She tries to see Bingley but she is rebuked by Caroline Bingley. Caroline Bingley does not want Bingley to know that Jane is in London and Jane slowly begins to accept the rejection. Elizabeth goes to visit Mr. Collins and her friend, Charlotte. At that time, Elizabeth meets again with Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy proposes marriage to her, but she refuses. However, he gives her a letter explaining that Wickham has lied and that Jane has seemed to be disinterested by Bingley. Elizabeth calls back home quickly when she gets the news that Lydia has run away with Wickham. She returns home while her father and Mr. Gardiner are searching for the two in London. It is revealed that Darcy actually finds them eventually and helps to pay the dowry for Wickham to take Lydia in marriage. It is an act that impresses Elizabeth greatly.

Bingley reappears in Netherfield Park for a short while and resumes courting Jane while Lady de Bourgh arrives and acts rudely towards the Bennets. She warns Elizabeth not to marry Darcy, as her daughter is supposed to marry him. A few days later, Darcy returns himself and reproposes Elizabeth that she now accepts. Jane and Bingley are also engaged shortly before Elizabeth’s engagement. The two are married on the same day. Bingley and Jane move to Derbyshire in the following year while Elizabeth and Darcy live together in Pemberley.

This novel mostly tells about how the Bennet family as a middle class family has to survive against the high class people. Jane Austen gives a clear description about how the powerful people often use their power to oppress the powerless people. In the novel, the life problems of Bennet family mostly deal with powerful people. It is starts when the Bennets meet Mr. Bingley’s family and Mr. Darcy. At the end of the novel, those two men become a part of Bennet family and the story ends in happy ending.

B. Approach of the Study

The approach of the study is Marxism approach. According to Slaughtrt (1975) Marxism is a set of social, economic, cultural understanding of the nature of reality, society and the individual, and political ideas in which its followers believe that it will enable them to interpret and change their world. It is moving towards at social change. Marxist wants to analyze social relation in order to change them, after what they see as inequalities created by capitalist economic relation.

Marxist explains in detail to change the world from a place of bigotry, hatred, and conflict due to class struggle into classless society where wealth, opportunity, and education could be accessed by all people. The writer uses Marxism approach because this approach deals with social classes and social struggles. Through Marxism approach, it helps the writer to seek the meaning of struggle as stated in the problem formulation.

C. Method of the Study

In this section, the writer would like to present the method of the study. This study is a desk research. Desk research is a research technique which is mainly acquired by sitting at a desk. It involves data collection from existing resources, such as data from the internet. The writers chose desk research because the writer explored, analyzed and discussed a novel as primary data. The primary data that the writer used was Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

The first step that the writer took in the analysis was reading the novel. After finishing reading the novel, the writer started to find the related theories to support and help in answering the formulated problems. The theories were Marxist theory and theory of power and powerless. Those theories were related to social classes and social struggles that the writer mainly discussed in this study. The next step was listing the life problems that were faced by Bennet family. In order to answer the research problems, the writer listed the important events and life problems of the Bennets as described in the novel.

After finding the theories and the Bennets’ life problems, the next step was analyzing the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problems. In the analysis, the writer needed to make an objective and reasonable analysis on the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles. Therefore, the writer should understand the whole context of the study. In order to get the right information of the theory about meaning, the writer used some supporting books. This analysis is done to answer the second research problem and also to achieve the aim of the study that

is to find the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problems as seen in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice.

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CHAPTER IV

ANALYSIS

In this chapter, the writer presents the analyses of the novel in order to answer the problem formulations. First, the life problems or the conflicts faced by the Bennets are described based on the novel. Second, the writer discovered the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problems. In this part, the literal and the true meanings are revealed based on the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problems.

A. The Life Problems of the Bennets

In this part, the writer describes the Bennets’ life problems that Jane Austen describes in her novel. Jane Austen describes the Bennet family as a middle class family. The Bennet family live in Longbourn, it is a county roughly thirty miles from London. The family consists of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet and their five daughters; Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine, and Lydia. In this novel, Mr. Bennet is described as a wise and patient man who never forces his orders to his daughters, who also has a good sense of humor, and who is fond of many books. However, his laziness causes the neglect of the education of his daughters. Mrs. Bennet is described as a woman who has weak understanding and strict mind, and she is very obsessed to marry off her daughters to rich men. In the novel, Mrs. Bennet says, “Oh! Single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four

or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!” (Pride and Prejudice, p.3) Moreover, she also has no concern for the moral education of her daughters.

Jane Bennet is the oldest daughter in the family. She is beautiful, good-tempered, sweet, humble, well-liked by everyone, and she refuses to judge anyone as a bad person. Elizabeth Bennet is the second oldest of the five sisters. She is good-looking, bold, and intelligent. She has pride in her ability to notice the truth of situations and people’s characters. Mary Bennet is the third oldest of the five sisters and she is strangely solemn and too concerned with unimportant details. She dislikes going out to society and prefers to spend her time studying. Catherine Bennet seems to have little personality of her own. In the novel, she is described as acting as a shadow to Lydia, following Lydia’s lead in whatever she does. Lydia Bennet is the youngest of the five sisters. She is foolish and she behaves towards someone else as if they are sexually attracted to her. She is also lazy, but she is the favorite daughter of Mrs. Bennet.

The family itself is a middle class family. Unfortunately, they have no sons. Thus their property is meant to be given to a male heir. The male heir is their relative, Mr. Collins. Therefore, Mrs. Bennet wants her daughters to get married to wealthy men. At that time getting married with someone who is in high class society is very important. As Williams (1977) states, “in a class society, all beliefs are founded on class position, and the systems of belief of all classes . . . are then in part or wholly false” (p. 55). Social classes provoke social struggles to exist. It happens because people from different social classes will struggle to make their social class appreciated and higher. This situation occurs in the Bennet

family. They try to make their social class becomes high social class. However, the struggle to make their social class higher is not that easy. They have to face the society that gives them conflicts. Jane Austen describes that people from higher class society always try to stop and insult them when they start to get closer to wealthy people.

1. Conflict between Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley

The conflict starts when Mrs. Bennet hears that someone who is very wealthy, Mr. Bingley, comes to their town. She wants one of her daughters to meet him and win his heart, so that she can change her family’s fortune. From this point, Mrs. Bennet would like to change her family’s social class into higher social class. Jane Austen shows how people at that time depicted by the Bennet family, especially Mrs. Bennet, who is very eager to change her family’s social class and status.

However, her family has to face several conflicts when finally her daughter, Jane Bennet, can get closer to Mr. Bingley. Jane Austen describes that the first conflict that the Bennet family has to face is when Mr. Bingley’s sister, Caroline Bingley, judges Elizabeth as a low moral woman because Elizabeth cannot dress properly when she comes to see Jane, who is in Mr. Bingley’s house. Caroline Bingley says,

To walk three miles, or four miles, or five miles, or whatever it is, above her ankles in dirt, and alone, quite alone! What could she mean by it? It seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence, a most country town indifference to decorum. (Pride and Prejudice, p. 31)

Caroline Bingley, as a woman from high class family, has a standard for anyone who is trying to get closer to her family. She cannot accept anyone who does not look like a high class person. The opinion also comes from Mrs. Hurst, who judges the Bennet family as a low-middle class family and they must not have connections with the Bennet family.

I have an excessive regard for Jane Bennet, she is really a very sweet girl, and I wish with all my heart she were settled. But with such a father and mother, and such low connections, I am afraid there is no chance of it. (Pride and Prejudice, p. 31)

Elizabeth suddenly realizes that Caroline Bingley dislikes the Bennet family and that she also pretends to be friend with Jane. From that moment, Caroline Bingley always tries to keep a distance from the Bennet family. Soon after, Bingley, his sisters, and Darcy depart for London and announce to Jane that they have no intentions of returning to Netherfield. They also tell Jane that Bingley will marry Mr. Darcy’s sister. This is the only way from Caroline Bingley to stay away from the Bennet family.

Though Jane really loves Mr. Bingley, she has to face the fact that Caroline Bingley tries to make Jane and her family stay away from Bingley family. Furthermore, the prevention is coming up again when Jane goes to stay with his uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, in order to forget Bingley. However, unexpected event happens, Bingley is also in London. She tries to see him many times, but unfortunately she is prevented by Caroline Bingley and even Caroline Bingley does not let Mr. Bingley know that Jane Bennet is also in London. It is not only Caroline Bingley who tries to separate Jane Bennet and Mr.

Bingley. Mr. Darcy also takes a part in separating them. He admits it when Elizabeth Bennet confronts him about what he has done to Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley. He says, “I have no wish of denying that I did everything in my power to separate my friend from your sister, or that I rejoice in my success. Towards him I have been kinder than towards myself,” (Pride and Prejudice, p. 156). As stated by Collins (1974), he concludes “coercion and the ability to “force” others to behave a certain way are the primary basis of conflict” (p.56), Mr. Darcy makes Jane Bennet separated from Mr. Bingley. It is because Mr. Darcy thinks Jane only wants Mr. Bingley’s wealth.

The conflict that Jane has to face is that she is always prevented by Caroline Bingley to meet Mr. Bingley. In this point, Jane Austen describes that high class society is hardly being a friend with middle and even low class society. There is always a gap between these two classes and Jane Austen is successfully describes it in the novel.

2. Conflict between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy

This part describes the conflict that Elizabeth Bennet has to face. Elizabeth has to face the conflict between Mr. Darcy and her. The conflict is about their pride and prejudices to each other. Mr. Darcy’s pride in their first meeting makes Elizabeth dislike Mr. Darcy. The conflict is even getting worse when Elizabeth meets Mr. Wickham who tells a fake story about him and Mr. Darcy. He tells Elizabeth that he is cheated out of piece of inheritance from Mr. Darcy’s father.

Yes – the late Mr. Darcy bequeathed me the next presentation of the best living in his gift. He was my godfather, and excessively attached to me. I

cannot do justice to his kindness. He meant to provide for me amply, and thought he had done it; but when the living fell, it was given elsewhere. (Pride and Prejudice, p. 67)

At first, Elizabeth really trusts Mr. Wickham, but soon after her family gives careful warnings to her about Mr. Wickham, Elizabeth leaves him. However, she becomes curious about the true relationship between Mr. Darcy and Mr. Wickham. The peak of the conflict between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet happens when they meet again and Mr. Darcy tells Elizabeth that he loves her and he proposes her. Elizabeth refuses him and she opens up all her opinions about what he has done to Jane in her relationship with Mr. Bingley.

Why with so evident a design of offending and insulting me, you chose to tell me that you liked me against your will, against your reason, and even against your character? Was not this some excuse for incivility, if I was uncivil? But I have other provocations. You know I have. Had not my own feelings decided against you, had they been indifferent, or had they even been favorable, do you think that any consideration would tempt me to accept the man, who has been the means of ruining, perhaps forever, the happiness of a most beloved sister? (Pride and Prejudice, p. 156)

Elizabeth continues to confront him and tell him about what has happened between him and Mr. Wickham in the past. She tells everything to Mr. Darcy just like what has been told by Mr. Wickham when they meet. She tells how Mr. Darcy makes Mr. Wickham feel that he has been cheated out by Mr. Darcy.

You have reduced him to his present state of poverty, comparative poverty. You have withheld the advantages, which you must know to have been designed for him. You have deprived the best years of his life, of that independence which was no less his due than his desert. You have done all this! And yet you can treat the mention of his misfortunes with contempt and ridicule. (Pride and Prejudice, p. 157)

Meanwhile, the conflict between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy is solved when Elizabeth reads the letter from Mr. Darcy after her confrontation. He explains everything about the problems that Elizabeth has mentioned. Mr. Darcy’s letter reminds Elizabeth the moment when she met Mr. Darcy for the first time. The letter makes Elizabeth’s opinion about Mr. Darcy change. Suddenly, she feels ashamed of herself. “She grew absolutely ashamed of herself. – Of neither Darcy nor Wickham could she think, without feeling that she had been blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd” (Pride and Prejudice, p. 170).

Mr. Darcy’s letter leads Elizabeth Bennet to reveal the solution of her conflict with Mr. Darcy. This conflict is one of the conflicts that the Bennets have to face, especially for Elizabeth, who really dislikes Mr. Darcy. Meanwhile, Elizabeth also has to face the harsh rejection from Lady de Bourgh. Lady de Bourgh warns Elizabeth not to marry Darcy, as her daughter is supposed to marry him. “Let me be rightly understood. This match, to whom you have the presumption to aspire, can never take place. No never. Mr. Darcy is engaged to my daughter. Now what have you to say?” (Pride and Prejudice, p.284). She uses her “power” as high class people to oppress Elizabeth and to make Elizabeth obey her words.

3. Conflict between the Bennet family and Mr. Wickham

The biggest conflict faced by the Bennet family is when Lydia Bennet is running away with Wickham when she is in Brighton. It is described by Jane’s letter to Elizabeth. Jane writes the letter to Elizabeth to inform that Lydia is

running away with Wickham. Then, Elizabeth also tells the news to Mr. Darcy when they meet in Mr. Gardiner’s house.

“I have just had a letter from Jane, with such dreadful news. It cannot be concealed from anyone. My youngest sister has left all her friends – has eloped; - has thrown herself into the power of – of Mr. Wickham. They are gone off together from Brighton. You know him too well to doubt the rest. She has no money, no connections, nothing that can tempt him to – she is lost forever.” (Pride and Prejudice, p.222)

Mr. Bennet has looked for Lydia and Wickham in London, but he cannot find them anywhere. The conflict makes the name of the Bennet family becomes worse because the neighbors think that they cannot educate Lydia due to unacceptable and shameful behaviors. Jane Austen lifts up the conflict with a great plot, because she includes all the Bennet family to take part in the conflict. The Bennets, especially Mr. Bennet and Mr. Gardiner, has looked for Lydia and Wickham in London. At first, they think there is a possibility that Wickham and Lydia has run away to Scotland. The Bennet family is getting more desperate when Mr. Bennet comes back home without any news of those two people. The Bennet family must face the condition that they will be ashamed because of Lydia and Wickham’s incident. It will show how the Bennet family cannot take care of each other and their status in society will be getting lower. Thus, it takes a social action to solve the conflict. Conflict and love are involved in the Bennet’s social action to overcome the conflict. The conflict is between the Bennet family and Mr. Wickham, while the love is Lydia’s love to Mr. Wickham. The conflict arises because of Lydia’s love to Wickham and he uses it to get money from the Bennet family.

B. The Meanings of The Bennets’ Struggles

After describing the life problems of the Bennet family, in this section the writer answers the second research problem. The second research problem is the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problem. In order to answer the second research problem, the writer analyzes the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problem in two ways. The first way is by giving literal meaning and the second is by giving true meanings of the struggles of the Bennet family in solving their life problem. Therefore, before the writer goes further to the discussion, the writer would like to explain about the literal and true meanings.

A literal approach in learning is the tacit acceptance of information and memorization and does not promote understanding for long-term retention of knowledge (Case & Marshall, Deep and Surface Approaches to Learning (2009, pp. 9-18). In this study, the literal meaning means the meaning which can be seen or noticed in the surface of the novel. After reading the novel, the writer can directly conclude about the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problems based on what is seen and noticed. In contrast, a deep learning involves the critical analysis of new idea and promotes the application for life. In this study the true meaning means the meaning which can be seen behind the symbols or utterances that are used in novel. The true meaning usually does not appear or cannot be seen directly because it is hidden.

1. The Struggle of Jane Bennet

This part tells the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles from Jane Bennet when she has to face the conflict between Mr. Bingley and Caroline Bingley (Mr. Bingley’s sister) and herself. The meanings of the Bennets’ struggle is divided into two parts. The first meaning is literal meaning of struggle and the second is true meaning of struggle.

a. The Literal Meaning of Jane’s Struggle

In this part, the writer explains the literal meaning of struggle from Jane Bennet. From the conflict that Jane Bennet has to face, the writer can get the meaning of struggle based on how she survives and solves the conflict she has.

First, the writer gives the very brief explanation of Jane Bennet’s conflict. In the novel, Jane Bennet is falling in love with Mr. Bingley. However, when Jane is trying to get closer to Mr. Bingley, Caroline Bingley is trying to make a distance between her brother and Jane Bennet. Mr. Darcy also tries to separate Bingley and Jane. Mr. Darcy does it because he gets the wrong perception of Jane’s feeling towards Mr. Bingley. He thinks that Jane only wants Mr. Bingley’s wealth.

Jane’s struggle begins when she knows Caroline Bingley does not want to help her meet Mr. Bingley. It is because Caroline Bingley considers that her social class with Jane Bennet is different. Therefore, she wants her brother to get married with Mr. Darcy’s sister. Mr. Darcy’s misconception of Jane’s feeling towards Mr. Bingley also has the effect. Mr. Darcy persuades Mr. Bingley not to

meet Jane Bennet. He uses his power to persuade Mr. Bingley to forget Jane Bennet. However, Jane and Mr. Bingley cannot deny their feelings, so that they struggle for their feelings.

Jane refuses to judge Caroline Bingley and Mr. Darcy as bad people, although those two people are trying to separate them. On the other hand, Jane needs to struggle her feeling to Mr. Bingley. She believes that Mr. Bingley loves her too and they would be reunited again, although the society does not support her and she knows that Caroline Bingley makes distance between her and Mr. Bingley. The conflict is finally settled down when Mr. Bingley proposes Jane Bennet. Jane Austen describes Jane Bennet as the happiest woman in the world because finally she can marry Mr. Bingley. Just like Elizabeth says about Jane and Mr. Bingley’s love struggle. “And this,” said she, “is the end of his entire friend’s anxious circumspection! Of all his sister’s falsehood and contrivance! The happiest, wisest, most reasonable end!” (Pride and Prejudice, p.277)

Jane maintains her feeling for Mr. Bingley though the surrounding people do not support her, until Jane and Mr. Bingley can meet again and Mr. Bingley proposes her to be her wife. Jane never doubts her feeling. She struggles her feeling towards Mr. Bingley and she believes that her effort will not be useless. Based on Jane’s life problem and the way she solves the conflict, the literal meaning of Jane’s struggle is discovered. It is the fact that she maintains her feeling and does not give up although the high class people oppress her, in order to maintain their control of low class and to maintain their high class status.

b. The True Meaning of Jane’s Struggle

In this part, the writer analyzes the true meaning of struggle based on Jane Bennet’s life problem. The true meaning of struggle here is supported by the theories that have been written in chapter II. In the previous part, the writer has written the literal meaning of Jane’s struggle based on the writer’s understanding. Jane’s struggle is that she maintains her feeling and does not give up although the high class people oppress her, in order to maintain their control of low class and to maintain their high class status. This literal meaning of struggle is from Jane Bennet’s conflict and the way she struggles to overcome her conflict. Through this part, the writer discovered the true meaning of Jane’s struggle that is supported by theories from some experts.

Jane Bennet falls in love with Mr. Bingley, but Caroline Bingley disturbs their relationship. As stated by Simmel (1950), he believes social action always involves harmony and conflict, love and hatred (p. 74). Jane Bennet has to accept the fact that the relationship between her and Mr. Bingley will not work easily. She needs to struggle from Caroline Bingley’s oppression. As Rachel McHenry (2005) states, “According to Marx and his theories, the bourgeoisie will take any means necessary to oppress the proletariat and remain in control.” Caroline Bingley does not want Jane Bennet becomes a part of her family because she knows that Jane’s family is not from high class society. Karl Marx theory states that the proletariat will struggle, so that they will not be oppressed by the bourgeoisie. Jane’s struggle for her love to Mr. Bingley is one of the examples, how the proletariat will not give up though they are oppressed by the bourgeoisie.

Caroline Bingley, as the part of bourgeoisie society, takes any means to oppress Jane Bennet and Elizabeth Bennet, so that they will not distract bourgeoisie class system.

However, Jane Bennet struggles and finally she can live with Mr. Bingley. Although Caroline Bingley oppresses Jane Bennet to get away from Mr. Bingley, Jane’s struggle and effort are not useless. The true meaning of Jane’s struggle is Jane’s social action which involves harmony and conflict, love and hatred, and struggles over the oppression to maintain her feeling to the man that she loves.

2. The Struggle of Elizabeth Bennet

After discussing the meaning of struggle from Jane Bennet’s life problem, the writer would like to continue discussing the meanings of the Bennets’ struggle from Elizabeth Bennet. This section would tell the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles from Elizabeth Bennet’s conflicts between Mr. Darcy, Mr. Wickham, Lady de Bourgh, and herself. The meanings of struggles are divided into two parts. The first meaning is literal meaning of struggle and the second is true meaning of struggle.

a. The Literal Meaning of Elizabeth’s Struggle

In this part, the writer explains the literal meaning of struggle from Elizabeth Bennet’s conflicts. In the novel, Elizabeth Bennet is the main character. She has a role in solving every problem that her family faced. She also helps Jane when Jane has to face the conflict between Mr. Bingley, Caroline Bingley, and

herself. However, Elizabeth also has to face some conflicts that include her and some people in the society.

From the conflicts she faced, she struggles to fight the society that gives her oppression. The first struggle of Elizabeth Bennet is when she wants to meet Jane Bennet in Mr. Bingley’s mansion. She meets Caroline Bingley in an untidy dress and Caroline Bingley sums up that Bennet family belongs to low class family because of Elizabeth’s appearance. It continues when Elizabeth wants to help Jane to meet Mr. Bingley. Caroline Bingley threatens her badly because of the social class between them, but she does not give up and she does not want Caroline Bingley to underestimate her.

Furthermore, the other conflicts start to come up when she meets Mr. Darcy, Mr. Wickham, and Lady de Bourgh. Elizabeth gets a wrong perception of Mr. Darcy since the first time they meet, and it is getting worse when Elizabeth meets Mr. Wickham and he tells a fake story about Mr. Darcy and himself. Elizabeth also has to face the conflict between her and Lady de Bourgh. Lady de Bourgh cannot accept the fact that Mr. Darcy proposes Elizabeth and she wants Elizabeth to refuse it. From those conflicts, Elizabeth survives and she can solve her conflicts.

The meaning of struggle that the writer gets from Elizabeth Bennet is that she has to stay strong when the society threatens her badly and she needs to keep seeking the truth until she finds the right answers to solve her conflicts. She cannot give up though her conflicts are not easy to be solved. Though it looks like

a dead end way, but if she does not want to try to face and to solve her conflicts, she will never know the end of that way.

Elizabeth convinces herself to find the answer to solve her conflicts. When she is threatened badly by Caroline Bingley, she keeps staying strong and shows Caroline Bingley that she is not easily “defeated”. Defeated here means that Elizabeth cannot defense herself and accept the way Caroline Bingley threatens her. However, Elizabeth shows her struggle, she stays strong though she is threatened badly. Furthermore, she really wants to help her sister, Jane Bennet, to meet Mr. Bingley and to solve the conflict between them.

Elizabeth Bennet also keeps seeking the right answer to solve the conflict between herself and Mr. Darcy. When Mr. Wickham tells Elizabeth the fake story about himself and Mr. Darcy, at first Elizabeth believes it. Until she meets Caroline Bingley. Caroline Bingley warns Elizabeth not to trust every word that Mr. Wickham tells about Mr. Darcy. After that, she becomes curious about the truth between Darcy and Wickham. She starts seeking for time to meet Mr. Darcy. When they finally meet up, Elizabeth is shocked because Mr. Darcy suddenly proposes her. However, Elizabeth refuses it and she confronts Mr. Darcy with many harsh arguments and questions.

Elizabeth starts feeling regretful when she knows the truth from the letter that is written by Mr. Darcy. She feels regretful because she lacks of seeking the truth from Mr. Darcy. She admits how her pride has blinded herself from the truth, even she admits that she makes herself humiliated by her own actions towards Mr. Darcy since the first time they met.

“How despicably have I acted!” she cried. –“I, who have prided myself on my discernment! – I, who have valued myself on my abilities! Who have often disdained the generous candour of my sister, and gratified my vanity, in useless or blameable distrust. – How humiliating is this discovery! – Yet, how just a humiliation! – Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind. But vanity, not love, has been my folly. – Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away, where either was concerned. Till this moment, I never knew myself.” (Pride and Prejudice, p. 170).

The peak of her regret is when Mr. Darcy helps her family to find Mr. Wickham and Lydia Bennet. Mr. Darcy’s action impresses her so much. Hence, she starts falling in love with Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth has shown how she keeps looking the right answer though at first she admits that she has wrong perception about Mr. Darcy. This is a struggle that Elizabeth Bennet has shown. She keeps looking the right answers to solve her conflicts.

Elizabeth also has to face another conflict between herself and Lady de Bourgh. Elizabeth is oppressed to refuse Mr. Darcy’s proposal because Lady de Bourgh wants Mr. Darcy to marry her daughter. However, Elizabeth stays strong and she confronts against Lady de Bourgh that she will accept Mr. Darcy’s proposal when Mr. Darcy really proposes her. Thus, the literal meaning of Elizabeth’s struggle is that she has to stay strong when high class people threaten her badly and she needs to keep seeking the truth until she finds the right answers to solve her conflicts.

b. The True Meaning of Elizabeth’s Struggle

This part continues the discussion about the meaning of Elizabeth’s struggle in solving her life problems. Elizabeth Bennet has to face some conflicts dealing with Caroline Bingley, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Wickham, and Lady de Bourgh. In the literal meaning part, the writer wrote that Elizabeth’s struggle is that she has to stay strong when high class people threaten her badly and she needs to keep seeking the truth until she finds the right answers to solve her conflicts.

In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, there are continuous class differences present, and also the struggles between those different classes. This is very natural because according to Eagleton (1976), who states that “the social mentality of an age is conditioned by that age's social relations. This is nowhere quite as evident as in the history of art and literature.” (p. 5) Class difference occurs when Caroline Bingley starts to consider Elizabeth Bennet as a woman from lower class society. It can be seen from Caroline Bingley’s statement towards Elizabeth Bennet, “To walk three miles. . . above her ancles in dirt, and alone! . . . [i]t seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence” (Pride & Prejudice, p. 33). However, it shows that Elizabeth is not only strong but also independent. Furthermore, she is also mocked by higher class people in the society. It indicates that she also becomes a threat to them through her independence. Thus, it shows Elizabeth Bennet’s struggle, which is the fact that she can survive and show that she is a strong and independent woman though the high class people in the society oppress her.

Although social class conflicts come up in Pride and Prejudice, the most important conflict is the conflict between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Their class differences are the main reason for Mr. Darcy’s disability to form any serious affection to Elizabeth. Nevertheless, he actually begins to fall in love with her although their different classes cause a great difficulty to him. When he proposes to her, he does it in a manner which is highly offensive, as shown in the following utterance, “could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your connections? To congratulate myself on the hope of relations, whose conditions in life are so decidedly below my own?” (Pride & Prejudice, p.159). Elizabeth turns him down and does not change her mind until she visits Pemberley, Darcy’s great estate in Derbyshire. In fact, Mr. Darcy has changed his personality after he eliminates his pride. It is presented in his well-mannered behavior to Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s aunt and uncle, which makes Elizabeth starts to feel regret. Elizabeth behaves badly to Mr. Darcy because both of them do not trust each other and maintain their pride.

Class difference is the core of the conflict between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy and it also becomes a conflict between them. Then, Elizabeth’s social action happens in order to solve the conflict. The conflict occurs because of the pride, prejudice, and love between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. The pride and the power from Mr. Darcy make Elizabeth behave badly to him from the beginning until the conflict between them are solved. This fact is supported by Collins (1974) stating, “coercion and the ability to “force” others to behave a certain way are the primary basis of conflict” (p.56). Elizabeth is forced to dislike

Mr. Darcy because of his pride and arrogance. However, she struggles to find out the truth. Elizabeth keeps seeking the truth and struggles to find the right answers to solve her conflict, although she is forced to behave in a certain way by Mr. Darcy.

One more conflict that Elizabeth has to face is the conflict between her and Lady de Bourgh. As a person from high class society, Lady de Bourgh uses her power to oppress Elizabeth and make Elizabeth obey her order. She says, “And will you promise me, never to enter into such an engagement?” (Pride and Prejudice, p.285). Lady de Bourgh’s power to oppress others is one of the types of power. It is coercion: the “final” form of power, where the powerless are forced to obey the powerful (C. Wright Mills (1962)). However, Elizabeth struggles not to obey Lady de Bourgh’s order because she has been insulted by Lady de Bourgh. Elizabeth feels that they are the same human being and she does not want to be oppressed by people from high class society. She shows her struggle in order not to be oppressed anymore, so that she can maintain her pride and right. Thus, the true meaning of Elizabeth’s struggle is the fact that she does not want to be under-controlled by the powerful people in the society and that she can overcome her conflicts in the right ways.

3. The Struggle of the Bennet Family

Up to this part, the writer has discussed the meanings of Jane and Elizabeth Bennet’s struggles. This section would present the meaning of the Bennets’ struggles from the Bennet family’s conflict between them and Mr.

Wickham by discussing the literal meaning of struggle and true meaning of struggle.

a. The Literal Meaning of the Bennet Family’s Struggle

In this part, the writer explains the literal meaning of struggle from Bennet family’s life problem. The Bennet family has a serious conflict with Mr. Wickham. All members of the Bennet family have to face the fact that Lydia Bennet is running away with Mr. Wickham. Lydia really loves Mr. Wickham, while Mr. Wickham does not love Lydia. He only wants money from the Bennet family.

All the Bennet family’s neighbors hear the news and they start to think negatively about the Bennet family. Bennet family’s name becomes worse because their neighbors spread the news about Lydia Bennet. Moreover, they also insult the Bennet family. However, the Bennet family is trying to solve the conflict. All members of the Bennet family gather and Mr. Bennet starts to look for Lydia in London, while the others wait for the information at home. When Lydia is found, they get unexpected news from Mr. Gardiner. He informs that Lydia gets married with Mr. Wickham. The Bennet family who hears the news starts to feel relieved and happy, especially when Lydia is going back to home and Mr. Wickham takes the responsibility to marry her.

“And they are really to be married! Cried Elizabeth, as soon as they were by themselves. “How strange this is! And for this we are to be thankful. That they should marry, small as is their chance of happiness, and wretched as is his character, we are forced to rejoice! Oh, Lydia!”

It shows that the Bennet family can solve the conflict between them and Mr. Wickham. Furthermore, their family name is getting better when two of Mrs. Bennet’s daughters get married to the rich men in the town. Jane Bennet gets married with Mr. Bingley, while Elizabeth Bennet gets married with Mr. Darcy. From all the conflicts they have, they struggle to solve the conflicts and they can live happily ever after.

The Bennet family proves that when they have some serious conflicts, which seem difficult to be solved, the best way to overcome and solve the conflict is by trusting the family and their relatives. Although, they can do it alone, it is better if they solve it together with the other members of family and their relatives, since it is a family problem. The Bennet family faces the conflict together because they need to know whether Mr. Wickham loves Lydia or not. Lydia is one of the family members and they need to help Lydia. It is not only for Lydia, but it is also for the sake of family’s name. The Bennet family’s name can become worse if they do not want to struggle together to solve the conflict of their family members. Thus, the literal meaning of the Bennet family’s struggle is that a conflict that cannot be solved without a help from family, it takes trust and faith.

b. The True Meaning of Bennet Family’s Struggle

This part continues the discussion about the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles from the true meaning part. The conflict here is between the Bennet family and Mr. Wickham. Before having conflict with the Bennet family, Mr. Wickham always spreads a fake story about Mr. Darcy. He tells a fake story about

Mr. Darcy to everyone he meets. He makes a conflict between himself and Mr. Darcy because he is jealous. Lewis Coser defines conflict as “a struggle over values and claims to scarce status, power and resources in which the aims of the opponents are to neutralize, injure, or eliminate their rivals” (as cited in Billings, 1976, p. 533). Mr. Wickham wants to injure Mr. Darcy’s name. The truth is that Mr. Wickham is the real troublemaker. The Bennet family also has to struggle very hard to overcome the conflict when they have a conflict with him. It is because they finally know the real character of Mr. Wickham and his real personality.

The marriage between Wickham and Elizabeth's younger sister, Lydia, is a marriage for financial gain. Collins (1974) believes there are certain things that every group wants to pursue, those are wealth, power, and prestige. After running away with Lydia with no intention of marrying her and destroying both her reputation and all possible future options for her, Wickham is bribed by Mr. Darcy to marry her. Wickham has two options. He can work for his own living. However, with his laziness and general lack of character, he thinks it is better to marry a woman that he does not love for the money.

His punishment is to live the rest of his life with Lydia Bennet, a woman with whom he may never be happy. A marriage to a man only for the sake of money is at many times the last thing that many women can hope for in life. Meanwhile, Mr. Darcy helps the Bennet family in finding Mr. Wickham and Lydia Bennet. He also forces Mr. Wickham to take the responsibility and helps Mr. Wickham to pay for the marriage. Mr. Darcy uses his power, so that Mr.

Wickham obeys his order. Weber (1968) defines power as “the ability to impose one’s will on another, even when the other objects” (p.72).

The Bennet family is really helped by Mr. Darcy. It also changes Elizabeth’s mind about Mr. Darcy. The Bennet family’s struggles would not be successful if Mr. Darcy does not help them. Thus, the true meaning of the Bennet family’s struggles is the power to make the powerless obey them and the power of family in the society to solve the conflict together. The Bennet family’s struggles cannot be done if they do not have the power to survive and a will to stay strong. As long as there are social relations that produce oppressed beings, it will be needed and possible to attack these relations by fighting the oppression.

The writer has discussed the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles from Jane Bennet’s life problem, Elizabeth Bennet’s life problem, and also the Bennet family’s life problem. The writer has described the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problems, through literal and true meanings. From the literal meaning and the true meaning of the Bennets’ struggles, the writer could say that a struggle has many meanings that can be described. However, what the writer can see from the Bennets’ struggles in Pride and Prejudice is surviving from the oppression and the high class society, doing the best to solve the life problems, and searching for the right answer to solve the conflicts or to help the oppressed people.

Appendix E

 Reading Material

Pride and Prejudice

Written by Jane Austen

Chapter 1

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.

However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.

"My dear Mr. Bennet,'' said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?''

Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.

"But it is,'' returned she; "for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.''

Mr. Bennet made no answer.

"Do not you want to know who has taken it?'' cried his wife impatiently. "You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.''

This was invitation enough.

"Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.''

"Bingley.''

"Is he married or single?''

"Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!''

"How so? how can it affect them?''

"My dear Mr. Bennet,'' replied his wife, "how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.''

"Is that his design in settling here?''

"Design! nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes.'' "I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better; for, as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party.''

"My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be any thing extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty.''

"In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.''

"But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood.''

"It is more than I engage for, I assure you.''

"But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go, merely on that account, for in general, you know they visit no new comers. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him, if you do not.''

"You are over-scrupulous, surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying which ever he chuses of the girls; though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy.''

"I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving her the preference.''

"They have none of them much to recommend them,'' replied he; "they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters.''

"Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such way? You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves.''

"You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least.''

"Ah! you do not know what I suffer.''

"But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood.''

"It will be no use to us if twenty such should come, since you will not visit them.'' "Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty I will visit them all.''

Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develope. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented, she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.

(adapted from: http://classiclit.about.com/library/bl-etexts/jausten/bl-jausten-pri-1.htm, accessed on August 19, 2013 at 09.30 P.M.)

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ABSTRACT

Oktavianus, Rendy. (2013). The Meanings of the Bennets’ Struggles in Solving their Life Problems as Seen in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.

This study analyzes a novel entitled Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. This novel tells about the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problems. The story takes place in England. The Bennets want to change their social class. The conflicts start to come out between Jane Bennet and Mr. Bingley, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, also between the Bennet family and Mr. Wickham. Each conflict makes the Bennets struggle to overcome their problems. In the end of the story, every problem can be solved and the Bennets live happily.

The aim of the study is to find the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problems. There are two questions to answer in this study. The first question is “How are the life problems of Bennet family described in the novel?” The second question is “What are the meanings of the Bennets’ struggles in solving their life problems?”

There are two sources that were used in this study. The primary source was the novel itself, entitled Pride and Prejudice. The secondary sources were books, journals, related texts, and the internet literacy. The theories employed to answer the research problems were Marxist theory and theory of power and powerless. The approach used to accomplish this study was Marxism.

Based on the analysis, there were three main conflicts faced by the Bennets. Jane Bennet had to face the conflict that occurred between Mr. Bingley, Caroline Bingley, and herself. Elizabeth had to face the conflict of her pride and prejudice to Mr. Darcy. The Bennet family had to face serious conflict when Lydia Bennet was running away with Mr. Wickham. The meanings of their conflicts were categorized into literal and true meanings. There were three literal meanings of their conflicts. Firstly, Jane’s struggle to maintain her feeling and does not give up. Secondly, Elizabeth’s struggle is to stay strong when the society oppresses her. Thirdly, the Bennets’ struggle which is a problem that cannot be solved and be done without a help from family, it takes trust and faith. After a deeper analysis by using Marxist theory and theory of power and powerless, the true meanings are discovered. First, the true meaning of Jane’s struggle is Jane’s social action which involves harmony and conflict, love and hatred, and struggle over the oppression. Second, Elizabeth’s struggle is not being under-controlled by the powerful people or society and she can overcome her conflicts. Third, the Bennets’ struggle is the power to make the powerless obey them and the power of family in society to solve the conflicts together.

This study provides some suggestions for future researchers. For future researchers who use the same novel, they can use Elizabeth Bennet as the main focus of the study or they can use the social class as the main topic of their study.

viii ABSTRAK

Oktavianus, Rendy. (2013). The Meanings of the Bennets’ Struggles in Solving their Life Problems as Seen in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Yogyakarta: English Language Education Study Program, Sanata Dharma University.

Studi ini menganalisis sebuah novel yang berjudul Pride and Prejudice yang ditulis oleh Jane Austen. Novel ini menceritakan tentang perjuangan keluarga Bennet dalam menyelesaikan permasalahan hidup mereka. Berlokasi di Inggris. Keluarga Bennet berkeinginan merubah status kelas sosial mereka. Perselisihan mulai muncul antara Jane Bennet dan Tuan Bingley, Elizabeth Bennet dan Tuan Darcy, keluarga Bennet dan Tuan Wickham. Tiap konflik membuat keluarga Bennet berjuang untuk mengatasinya. Di akhir cerita, setiap perselisihan dapat diatasi dan keluarga Bennet dapat hidup bahagia.

Tujuan studi ini adalah untuk menemukan arti perjuangan keluarga Bennet. Terdapat dua rumusan masalah yang dibahas dalam studi ini. Rumusan masalah yang pertama adalah “Bagaimana permasalahan kehidupan keluarga Bennet dideskripsikan dalam novel?” Yang kedua “Apa arti dari perjuangan

keluarga Bennet dalam menyelesaikan permasalahan kehidupan mereka?”

Terdapat dua sumber yang digunakan dalam studi ini. Sumber yang pertama adalah novel berjudul Pride and Prejudice. Sumber yang kedua dari buku, jurnal, bacaan terkait, dan karya sastra dari internet. Teori – teori yang digunakan untuk menjawab rumusan masalah adalah teori Marxist dan teori power and powerless. Pendekatan yang digunakan untuk menyelesaikan penelitian ini adalah Marxism.

Berdasarkan studi ini, dalam novel terdapat tiga perselisihan utama yang dideskripsikan. Perselisihan dari Jane Bennet, Elizabeth Bennet, dan keluarga Bennet itu sendiri. Jane Bennet harus menghadapi konflik yang timbul antara dia, Tuan Bingley, dan Caroline Bingley. Elizabeth harus menghadapi konflik antara dirinya sendiri dengan Tuan Darcy. Serta keluarga Bennet yang menghadapi konflik serius ketika Lydia Bennet kabur dengan Mr. Wickham. Dari konflik - konflik tersebut, arti dari perjuangan dapat dikategorikan menjadi arti secara harfiah dan arti sebenarnya. Terdapat tiga arti harfiah dari permasalahan mereka. Pertama, perjuangan Jane adalah menjaga perasaannya dan tidak menyerah. Kedua, perjuangan Elizabeth adalah tetap kuat ketika masyarakat kelas atas menekan dia. Ketiga, perjuangan keluarga Bennet adalah masalah tidak dapat diselesaikan tanpa bantuan dari keluarga, itu membutuhkan kepercayaan dan keyakinan. Setelah analisis mendalam menggunakan teori Marxist dan teori power and powerless, arti sebenarnya dapat diketahui. Pertama, arti sebenarnya dari perjuangan Jane adalah tindakan sosial Jane yang mencakup harmoni dan konflik, cinta dan benci, dan perjuangan melawan tekanan. Kedua, perjuangan Elizabeth adalah tidak menuruti orang – orang yang berkuasa dan dia dapat mengatasi konfliknya dengan cara yang benar. Ketiga, perjuangan keluarga Bennet adalah kekuatan untuk membuat orang – orang yang lemah untuk menuruti mereka dan kekuatan keluarga dalam masyarakat untuk menyelesaikan konflik mereka bersama.

ix

Studi ini memberikan beberapa masukan untuk peneliti selanjutnya. Untuk peneliti selanjutnya yang menggunakan novel yang sama, mereka dapat fokus kepada Elizabeth Bennet atau mereka dapat menggunakan kelas sosial sebagai topik studi mereka.